Sept. 8th Select Board meeting

Springfield Selectboard members and the public gathered in the Springfield Town Hall to discuss a variety of issues.
http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/springfield-select-board-meeting

Springfield Select Board Meeting Submitted by VT Journal on Tue, 09/16/2014 - 3:07pm By LAUREN DRASLER The Shopper SPRINGFIELD, VT -On September 8, 2014, Springfield Selectboard members and the public gathered in the Springfield Town Hall to discuss a variety of issues. Those in attendance from the Selectboard were David Yesman, George McNaughton, Kristi Morris, Stephanie Thompson and Peter MacGillivary. The meeting began with adopting meeting minutes from six previous special meetings earlier in the year. The minutes from the previous Selectboard meetings were approved unanimously, and minutes from a variety of other meetings in town were also approved. A topic that received lengthy discussion was that of Road Projects Update. Director of Public Works Jeff Strong discussed raising and paving Pleasant Valley Road and what that process would entail. He said that the road could not be raised in certain areas without some type of “engineering plan.” Strong discussed how the road would be divided into sections so that the process of reconstructing it could go more smoothly. The sections of the road that Strong mentioned in regard to cost ranged from around $280,000 to almost $500,000. Strong also discussed that the project is more costly because of the topography of Pleasant Valley Road, and that paving the road wouldn’t hold up if the road wasn’t reconstructed. Selectboard member David Yesman asked Strong about the cost of grading Pleasant Valley Road and then simply paving over that. Strong said that the cost of that project would be around $620,000. Yesman said that there was “not enough money in the paving budget” for the project to be completed with an engineering plan, and that he didn’t want the paving budget for the next “40 years” to be spent on one road. Yesman also said that he thought the road should be paved in the very near future. Strong agreed, but said that the paving wouldn’t be able to start until the spring, due to paving companies in the area being booked. Selectboard Vice-Chair Stephanie Thompson added that section one of the road, which is by a swamp, could be the focus of the reconstruction of the road, and that other sections could be addressed at a later time. However, George McNaughton raised the question of whether or not finishing Pleasant Valley Road in sections would ultimately damage the road. It was decided that this might be an issue, but Strong said that completing section one with an engineering plan might be best because that part of the road is the worst. Strong said that the rest of the road could be finished for the time being with a topcoat, and that the road would have to be examined again in the future. Gibson motioned that it might be best to follow the original plan (the engineering plan) for section one, since that is the worst, and then revisit the rest of the road later. Her motion was then seconded by McNaughton. It was also discussed that a basecoat be put on Pleasant Valley Road this year, and then have section one be rebuilt in early spring of 2015. Another topic of discussion was Springfield’s Municipal Alarm System and problems associated with it. Fire Chief Russell Thompson said the current system, which is a telegraph system doesn’t meet the most recent codes. He said that in order to meet codes, many residents must go out and purchase a third-party fire alarm system. Thompson suggested implementing a new system in Springfield that is more current, so that residents no longer need to purchase a third-party system, and the municipal system will be more up-to-date. The system would be for both residential properties and businesses throughout town. Thompson’s proposal was approved unanimously by the Selectboard. The Muckross property was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. It is around 200 acres of land and the former home of Edgar May. The Agency of Natural Resources is considering turning the property into a state park, which would be used for recreation and education. This topic was discussed because of tax exemptions of turning the property into a state park. The project was also discussed, because it may be costly to clean up the property, but it was decided that having a state park would be beneficial to the Springfield community. The Selectboard approved the Agency of Natural Resources’ plan of taking over the property and turning it into a state park. Other topics of discussion included civilians assisting the police force by monitoring suspicious activity in town, insulating the attic of the town hall (which was discussed in regard to the energy committee) and appropriation requests. - See more at: http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/springfield-select-board-meeting#sthash.OV2tuPBY.dpuf